The Modern Art of Central Asia
The Modern Art of Central Asia
August 21 - October 16,
Organized and curated by
Enrico Mascelloni and Annemarie Sawkins, Ph.D.
PREFACE
Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia is an important international exhibition
that brings to the United States, for the first time, one of the most distinct collections of
Afghan war rugs in the world. The mostly women artists who wove the rugs abandoned
their traditional nonfigurative styles to produce rich pictorial images that recount a broader
story. In knotted rugs with maps, portraits of kings, khans, and military leaders, and in rugs
with weapons, the weavers revolutionized an ancient craft.
Purchased throughout Central Asia and in Europe, the over 40 rugs in this collection were
selected for their exceptional quality, rarity, and surprising content. They represent an
encounter of timeless aesthetic tradition with the violent, roiling reality of contemporary
Central Asia.
Wardak Province, central Afghanistan. Image courtesy of Cultural Section of the Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, D.C.
Left rug: Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2006, 77 × 44 1⁄2 inches
Right rug: War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2012, 34 1⁄2 × 157 1⁄2 inches
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Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
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AFGHANISTAN: A TIMELINE
1839–1842
1st Anglo-Afghan War
1953
General Mohammed Daud, as prime
minister, initiates reforms and accepts
Soviet aid
1986
Mohammed Najibullah takes over Kamal;
US provides sophisticated weapons to
Mujahideen
1999
United Nations sanctions againt
Afghanistan; call for the extradition of
Osama bin Laden
1973
Daud overthrows the monarchy in a
bloodless coup d’état
1988
Peace accords permit Red Army retreat
2001
Ahmad Shah Massoud of the Northern
Alliance assassinated
1878–1881
2nd Anglo-Afghan War
1893
The border between Afghanistan and
British India (now modern Pakistan) is
demarcated by the Durand Line
1919
3rd Anglo-Afghan War; Amanullah Khan
asserts Afghan independence from
British influence and becomes king
1929
Tajik fundamentalist Bachai Saqao ousts
Amanullah, reigns from January to
October; Nadir Shah becomes king
1933
After years of instability, Zahir Shah
becomes king
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1978
April Revolution led by the People’s
Democratic Party of Afghanistan results
in the overthrow and death of Daud
1979
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and
subsequent occupation props up the
Afghan government
1989
Soviets withdraw; Najibullah faces
resistance from mujahideen
1992
Mujahideen overthrow Najibullah
government; civil war continues
1996
Taliban take over and install extremist
Islamist government
1980
Soviets place Babrak Kamal in power;
the United States supports antil-Soviet
Mujahideen (soldiers of God)
1985
Mujahideen forces unite against Soviets;
half of Afghan population is displaced
by war
Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
1998
US launches missiles against Osama bin
Laden-training camps
2001 (October)
US-led intervention after terrorist attacks
in New York and Washington D.C.
2001 (December)
Hamid Karzi heads government; US and
NATO troops continue to fight Taliban
2004
Karzi elected president
2009
Karzi re-elected president
2013
Afghan forces take over military and
security responsibilities from NATO
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AFGHAN WAR RUGS:
THE MODERN ART OF CENTRAL ASIA
Afghan war rugs are fascinating on many levels, and although not much is known about
their origins, the circumstances of their production, or even the identity of the artists, they
offer an opportunity to learn about a largely unfamiliar world.
Located in the heart of Central Asia,1 Afghanistan is an ancient land. For thousands of years,
it has been a transit region and home to one of the most traveled highways—the famed Silk
Road. A vast country with mountain ranges and desert areas, it covers over 250,000 square
miles, making it larger than France and slightly smaller than the state of Texas.
Completely landlocked, Afghanistan borders six different countries: Pakistan to the south and
east; Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north and part of China
to the east. At the crossroads of so many civilizations, Afghanistan has long lured travelers
from around the world. It has been a nexus of ideas and trade between East and West for
centuries. Powerful conquerors, from Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan, have fought over
the country, which gave rise to remarkable civilizations of varied peoples and cultures.
Most of us know Afghanistan as either the destination for hippie trips in the late 1960s and
70s or a crucible of war. The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were punctuated by
a series of Anglo-Afghan Wars, with the British fighting to protect what they saw as their
interests. These wars eventually led to autonomy from Great Britain in 1919. Afghanistan
was thereafter governed by a homegrown monarch until 1973. Peace, however, did not
follow as seen in the war rugs of Afghanistan.
The definition of war rugs is multifaceted. Notable factors are the multicultural tribal nature
of the country, occupation by foreigners, early tourism, the entrepreneurial character of
Afghans, their exposure to sophisticated military hardware, and the unending conflicts
between warring factions that caused an Afghan diaspora. A unique product of Afghanistan
and its rich, albeit bellicose, history, war rugs—sold in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-i Sharif, and
in the bazaars of Peshawar and Islamabad in neighboring Pakistan—celebrate for many
Afghans success and independence over the Red Army. These rugs feature world maps,
political portraits, cityscapes and a plethora of Soviet (then US) armaments and weapons—
tanks, helicopters (such as the Hind M-21 and M-24s), and antiaircraft missile launchers.
Identifiable Soviet military hardware in rugs and inscriptions such as U.S.S.R., leave no
doubt to the identity of the occupiers. When the Soviets departed in 1989, Afghanistan had
a communist government led by Mohammad Najibullah, who begins to figure in rugs from
the late eighties. Even under the Taliban, which is opposed to idolatry, weavers continued to
produce pictorial rugs relating current events. With the involvement of the United States in
the war, rug makers expanded their repertoire to include American military machines such
as M-16s and F-16 fighter planes. This was followed, after September 11, 2001, by the
addition of US currency, images of planes hitting the Twin Towers, and doves with olive
branches uniting nations in more recent war rugs.
Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool, Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994, 52 3⁄8 × 31 1⁄2 inches
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WHY AFGHANISTAN?
A rug renaissance in the 1960s, and a subsequent carpet boom in the 1970s, motivated
many people, not previously involved in weaving, to work in the industry. Their ideas
brought about changes and a new openness to the art of rug making. This, coupled with
a long history of traders and invaders to the country, inspired some weavers to add novel
motifs and then radically new images in the central panels, or fields, of their rugs. Success
also begets success. As noted by many rug buyers, as soon as there is interest in a specific
style, the dealers at the bazaars are able to find more examples of that type. Artists and
artisans are equally cognizant of the market for their wares, and they respond by producing
what they understand their audiences desire. According to Kevin Sudeith, a New York war
rug broker and expert, less than one percent of Afghan rugs have war motifs,3 making war
rugs a distinct phenomenon worthy of art historical consideration. In fact, contemporary
curators were among the first to show interest in war rugs and include them in exhibitions.
Having been trained to focus on antique rugs and their established value, some dealers did
not initially know what to make of the modern imagery in Afghan war rugs.
Image courtesy of Cultural Section of the Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, D.C.
The tradition in Central Asia and the Middle East of weaving rugs dates back thousands
of years. Created by knotting different pieces of colored wool to the warp threads of a
loom, hand-woven rugs are an essential product of the area. They also follow the same
general layout of a central field framed by a border. Both of these elements are, moreover,
determined in advance of weaving once a loom is readied. Warp threads are the foundation
of each rug, and are usually cotton but can also be of silk or even wool, the finest of which
comes from the legendary Karakul sheep of Central Asia. The main producers of handwoven rugs in Afghanistan are the Baluchi (Baloch), Hazara, Zakini, Taimani, and Turkoman
(Turkmen) tribes. Many others have also contributed to the creation of both traditional and
now modern rugs. While weaving is considered women’s work, men and children are also
involved in the process. The decision to weave a rug remains an economic one made by
each family and supported by all members.
Though the materials are relatively inexpensive, it can take up to a year to produce a carpet,
or large and complex rug.2 Practiced by peasant communities and nomadic tribes, weaving
is a professional craft inherited from generation to generation. Before weaving can start, a
portable or large vertical loom is constructed, wool collected, cleaned, hand-spun, and dyed,
and then a design is determined. New designs, if executed well, can fetch more at market
than traditional patterns. This may have inspired the Baluchi of the Sistan Basin in western
Afghanistan, and across the Iranian border in Khorasan Province, to create some of the earliest
“modern” rugs, meaning rugs that are radically different from anything else produced.
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Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
Although it is often stated that weavers began
adding war motifs following the 1979 Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan, there is a long tradition of
pictorial rugs that predates the arrival of the Red
Army. It is here in these image-based rugs that
the first modern military vehicles appear. Some
scholars found rugs with weapons “whose themes
reasonably predate the Soviet occupation and the
outbreak of war.” 4 Indeed, the Soviet invasion
became a convenient start date, or terminus a quo,
for the appearance of war rugs. According to the
Italian curator Enrico Mascelloni, who has studied
war rugs in Afghanistan and throughout Central
Asia, images of planes and/or weapons appeared
earlier. The first war images were “confined to the
rugs’ borders or arranged as small icons around a
centerpiece image—often a world map, the portrait
of a [tribal leader, or] khan (Amanullah, Zahir, Daud,
Amin, Taraki) or a high ranking guerrilla (Massoud,
Adbullah Haq) after an outbreak of hostilities.
Weaponry was either absent, or secondary, and
often practically camouflaged by the concentration
of other iconic designs. It was the modernity of
their subjects that [has] guaranteed some cohesion
with other ‘armed’ rugs.” 5
Historically, the coup d’état led by the former prime
minister of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daud Khan,
Portrait Rug (Amanullah Khan), knotted wool, Afghanistan,
acquired in Zurich (Switzerland), 1980s, 63 × 30 3⁄ 4 inches
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in 1973, was an important watershed moment for Afghanistan. It led to the abolition of
monarchy and the formation of the Republic of Afghanistan. Attempts to rally greater
nationalism and renewed efforts at modernization of the country followed. Afghans began
to reflect on their collective past and emulate those who earlier had policies similar to
the current and new leadership. With quasi-historical revisionism, the past continues to
be used to help define the future. It was, for example, following Daud’s coup that artists
began weaving portraits of King Amanullah Khan (1892–1960) precisely because he is
regarded as the first modern ruler of Afghanistan. In the exhibition, the portrait rugs of
Amanullah from the 1980s are examples of this admiration of a past leader.
between Europe and Asia when it was
completed in 1973. Given its fame, a weaver
could very well have seen a magazine or
postcard image of this notable city with its
newest engineering marvel. A postcard or
brochure was also, in all likelihood, the source
for the city resembling a picturesque town in
Germany with distinct Old World architecture.
In their attempt to appeal to foreigners and
locals alike, weavers have also depicted
urban centers in Afghanistan—Herat and
Kabul—along with major monuments such
as the Minaret of Jam, the Naghlu Dam, and
Jama Masjid, or Great Mosque of Herat.
PICTORIAL RUGS
At approximately the same time that Afghan artists created portrait rugs, they were also
weaving maps and cityscapes into the central field of their rugs. The world maps and maps
of Afghanistan are by nature abstract, though many include flags and some advertise the
principal feature of each province. As noted by Kevin Sudeith, “The skies, roads, and cities
of traditional landscape rugs provided a natural environment in which to insert the first
war motifs.”6 The cities depicted in cityscape rugs are both real and imagined and include
places around the world. One rug in the exhibition features the Bosphorus Bridge in
Istanbul. This may seem odd until we consider that it was the world’s first modern bridge
In rugs devoted to specific monuments, the
representation of modern buildings and major
civil engineering projects, such as a dam or
bridge, come from photographs, propaganda
posters, or postcards, as the weavers would
not have actually traveled to any of these
sites, let alone places outside of Afghanistan.
WAR RUGS
War Rug with Naghlu Dam, knotted wool, Afghanistan, acquired in Kabul
(Afghanistan), late 1970s, 72 3⁄ 4 × 43 3⁄ 4 inches
In contrast to geographic and portrait rugs,
what can be called classic war rugs (or
armament rugs) showcase collections of weapons in lieu of a specific place or person.
These rugs are again unique to Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, where many of the
Afghans were forced to flee following foreign invasions and civil war. War rugs never
became part of the rug-making tradition in Iran, except in lands occupied by the Baluch,
namely the Sistan Basin and areas of the Khorasan Province (Eastern Iran). Despite similar
conditions, neither the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which brought Ayatollah Khomeini to
power, nor the Iran-Iraq conflict (1980 – 88) radically changed rug-making practices in
Iran. The new genre of modern rugs, known collectively as war rugs, is associated with
Afghanistan and Afghan weavers who produce the majority of them.
Some war rugs with weapons and armaments can be described as classical in their
designs. In various examples, it is as if the tanks simply replaced the time-honored gul, an
octagonal motif or flower found in Afghan and Turkoman rugs known as Bukharas. War
rugs can either feature a single weapon type, such as a battalion of tanks arranged in rows
or columns, or they can boast a plethora of military machines. The categories are fluid and
the varieties countless. A hybrid in the exhibition has a map framed by assault rifles making
it both a map rug and a rug with weapons. As noted by Ariel Zeitlin Cooke in Weavings
of War, Fabrics of Memory, some of the military equipment is rendered so accurately that
Image courtesy of Cultural Section of the Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, D.C.
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those familiar with armaments can identify the make and model of a certain weapon.7
It is also possible to date rugs loosely based on whether they feature Soviet or American
military hardware. The most recognizable weapon in Afghan war rugs is the assault rifle
commonly referred to as a Kalashnikov, after its creator, Mikhail Kalashnikov. The machine
gun he designed—the AK-47 (or Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947)—has long been the
weapon of choice not only of the Soviet army, which made it standard issue in 1949, but also
of countless rebel groups and fighting forces across the globe. It quickly became both an
indication of power and a symbol of modernity. This point, and the fac that millions of military
assault weapons, including AK-56s made in China and the more advanced Kalikov AK-74,
have been produced and used in fighting all over the world, is significant. For some scholars,
the introduction of weapons as motifs in the Afghan rug-weaving tradition predates the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and is part of the radical modernization of the country.8
For weapons to assume a central role in Afghan society, there was certainly no need for
a Soviet occupation and war. In the first instance, the long-standing martial traditions of
the Pashtun (ethnic Afghans) guaranteed their social importance. Weapons were awarded
upon puberty, and were a central decorative element with a powerful aesthetic charge for
men and their homes; above all, they ensured some autonomy not just in terms of foreign
invaders, but also from excessive interferences by the state and neighboring tribal groups.9
Like many Afghans, rug-makers across the
country experienced the impact of the war.
Even those from remote villages, who may not
have seen fighting firsthand, were impacted.
Roads were bombed and mined rendering
them unusable. Images and news of war
became constant on television networks
like CNN and al-Jazeera. Nomadic and seminomadic tribes frequently witnessed over-land
convoys of Soviet tanks and armed personnel
carriers, along with attack and transport
helicopters flying overhead. From 1979 to
1989, Russian control of the main roads and
highways made them unsafe for traveling and
impacted regular access to markets.
When it came to the making of rugs, weavers
based their designs on a variety of sources.
In addition to the semi-nomadic tribes’ keen
observation of the world around them, for
some Afghans there has been both a long
necessity for, and fascination with, military
technology in the form of increasingly
sophisticated arms. Local leaders or those in
neighboring villages are often armed, meaning
there is access to weapons. As noted by Ron
War Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool, Baghlan (Afghanistan),
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1998, 71 3⁄ 4 × 45 1⁄ 4 inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Pakistan refugee camp, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1998, 72 7⁄8 × 42 7⁄8 inches
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O’Callaghan of the Oriental Rug Review, Afghan
soldiers were often armed by weapons that
came from those they defeated, making the rifle
not only war booty but “a sort of talisman.”10
Abandoned Soviet tanks dot many of the
highways; there is always news of conflict, and
the country has been rife with war images
for decades. The later include any number of
televised scenes, illustrations and propaganda
posters issued by the Soviets, Taliban, and
Americans. In 2009, 90 percent of the population
of Afghanistan was still illiterate, so images,
observations and verbal accounts of events play
an important role within society.
Twin Towers Rug, knotted wool, Afghanistan after 2001, acquired
in Kabul (Afghanistan), 2004, 32 1⁄ 4 × 22 3⁄ 4 inches
Portrait Rug (Prof. Buranuddin Rabbani), knotted wool, Herat
(Afghanistan), acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1998,
34 1⁄4 × 18 inches
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When it comes to schools and education, there is
a strong link between pedagogy and the reality of
life in Afghanistan. While the People’s Democratic
Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) was in power, after
the overthrow and death of Mohammed Daud
Khan in 1978, textbooks designed to teach
literacy had “the tank as a symbol of freedom
for the people.”11 In many textbooks, tanks and
guns are used as countable units of measure
to teach arithmetic. It is also not uncommon to
find a question that asks one to consider the
muzzle velocity of a Kalashnikov and the distance
between a Russian combatant and a Mujahid (one
who struggles/freedom fight/soldier of God). In
North America, we do not use missiles, tanks
and antipersonnel mines to teach our children to
count, but in Afghanistan they have, and they do,
because war has so permeated society.
Today, Afghan refugees in northeastern Pakistan
and in Iran are actually producing many of the
Afghan rugs sold in Europe and North America.
The arrival of the Soviets in 1979, followed by
years of civil war, forced millions from their homes
and villages, including hundreds of thousands
of rug weavers. In addition to the displacement
of huge sections of the population, methods of
production and trade changed. Natural vegetable
dyes have been reintroduced, and while synthetic
dyes are still used, these are of much higher
quality than the artificial colors popular in the late
nineteenth century.
Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
POP IMAGERY
With modernization comes the growth of a pop culture. In Afghanistan, the predominant
culture has been war. The weapon of choice is still a Kalashnikov, and the strongest
currency is often the American dollar. Influenced by mass media in the form of posters and
US propaganda leaflets, artists were simply mimicking the mainstream when they started
reproducing the most ubiquitous images after 9/11. Afghan weavers are simply responding
creatively to the present situation while also holding a mirror up to the West, as noted by
Nigel Lendon, associate professor at the Australian National University.12 By depicting the
Twin Towers and US currency on prayer-sized or smaller rugs, weavers are making modern
and iconic references in their work, which transcend traditional rug-making boundaries.
Whether produced in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or parts of Iran, Afghan war rugs reflect the
country’s recent history and thus are not only profound, they are contemporary in a way
that traditional and antique style rugs are not. The novelty of their designs has made them
attractive to curators, intellectuals, and collectors not afraid to embrace new directions
in art. At the same time, war rugs are vernacular yet also like history paintings. They are
the production of women artists, and of communities speaking globally not just locally.
War rugs reflect Afghanistan’s historic and modern place as a busy cultural crossroads.
They reveal the observant and innovative nature of the people who produced them. The
older these war rugs become, the more they will echo not only a specific geo-political
moment in the history of Afghanistan but perhaps, more importantly, the evolution of art
by a progressive minority of artist weavers.
— Annemarie Sawkins, Ph.D.
Curator
Notes
Central Asia is east of the Caspian Sea, south of Russia, and west of China. It consists of the five former Soviet
republics—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The region’s southern reach
includes Afghanistan, parts of Pakistan, and eastern Iran.
2 By definition, the difference between a rug and a carpet is the size. Rugs measure forty square feet or less.
Carpets are larger and typically created on vertical looms. Horizontal looms and handlooms, by contrast, can
easily be taken apart and transported on the back of a pack animal. Nomadic and semi-nomadic
tribes use these to produce a variety of rugs and smaller weavings.
3 For information on war rugs and particularly their availability in the United States, visit www.warrug.com.
4 Enrico Mascelloni, War Rugs: The Nightmare of Modernism (Milan: Skira editore, 2009): 29.
5 Ibid.
6 Kevin Sudeith, War Rugs, Volume One: Pictorial: Mosques, Monuments, Minarets & Modern Cities. (Long
Island City: Warrug, Inc., 2008): n.p.
7 Ariel Zeitlin Cooke, “Common Treads: The Creation of War Textiles Around the World,” in Weavings of War,
Fabrics of Memory (Michigan State University, 2005): 5– 6.
8 For a more complete explanation of this idea and others see Enrico Mascelloni, War Rugs: The Nightmare of
Modernism, (Milan: Skira editore, 2009).
9 Ibid, 78.
10 See http://www.rugreview.com/stuf/afgwar.htm for more on the specifics of weapons depicted in Afghan war rugs.
11 Olivier Roy, L’Afghanistan, Islam et modernité politique (Paris: Edition du Seuil, 1985), 68.
12 Mimi Kirk, “Rug-of-War,” Smithsonian.com, February 4, 2008.
1
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WAR ICONS
Translated by Claudia Pessarelli. Original manusript in Italian.
The military effectiveness of the Kalashnikov assault rifle wasquestioned even when it
debuted in 1947. However, no one ever questioned its iconic nature or romantic appeal.
The gun's popularity is arguably due to these more than its military achievements. Its
international myth was established when it became the weapon of choice of the guerrillas
fighting colonial and imperialist power in the 1950s and ‘60s. Its essential form, one
straight and one curved element, fitting together perfectly, also contribute to its allure.
While done in the name of mechanical efficiency, the architects of abstraction in modern
art earlier established the marriage between such primary visual archetypes. Indeed, had
they lived to see this invention, Wassily Kandinsky, the Bauhaus group and avant-garde
artists in general would have appreciated it. The Kalashnikov represents, in an object,
the timeless ideals of earlier Suprematism and other Soviet avant-garde movements.
At the same time, the final users’ appreciation is not surprising, because of the highly
effective simplicity of the device and its firepower. Consequently, a picture of a man with
his Kalashnikov becomes mythical since with it he fights injustice. A symbol of rebellion
since the 1950s, the Kalashnikov is simple to use, clean, disassemble and sketch. Most
importantly, its shape is more effective than its functionality. A memorable icon, it is
capable of engraving itself into our visual memory. Although in the field of assault rifles it
has been surpassed by many other more technological firearms, the Kalashnikov remains
a symbol of rebellion, at least in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the Kalashnikov has been the
main lightweight weapon of the anti-Soviet
Mujahideen, the militias that fought each
other after the Soviet withdrawal, then the
Taliban, who controlled the country from 1996
until 2001, and now fighting the Western
coalition troops. Would it be a surprise that the
Kalashnikov is the most reproduced weapon
in Afghan war rugs? And still is, despite its
outdated functionality?
Indeed, if there is a weapon that substantially
changed the results of the first phase of the
Afghan Wars, it was the Stinger missile supplied
by the Americans to the anti-Soviet guerrillas.
This weapon, with its automatic search and
destroy, can shoot down combat helicopters.
Stinger missiles appear in some war rugs,
usually along with other types of weapons.
Despite its combat effectiveness, the Stinger
missile is a marginal subject. The older Enfield
rifle—more widely used than the Kalashnikov,
in the early stages of theconflict—is equally
rare. Tanks, combat helicopters and fighterbombers are often reduced to their most basic
form with only initials in Cyrillic to determine
Rug with Geisha, knotted wool, Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar
(Pakistan), 1994, 75 ⁄ × 44 ⁄ inches
their origin. In many war rugs, words are also
a mere visual element, often filling space with
little meaning. It is not uncommon to find words that contain both Latin and Cyrillic
characters and are indecipherable.
1
World Map Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1989, 37 1⁄2 × 62 1⁄4 inches
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1
2
Like other forms of visual art, war rugs were born out of a distinct set of circumstances.
Now, more uncommon to find words that contain exponentially expanded the number
of war rugs. Their continuous production has given them a certain international fame.
However, rugs with weapons preceded the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. They
are part of a modernist propaganda (a weapon as an element of visual excellence in
the modernization of a country). Through the late twentieth century, Afghanistan was
considered indefinitely “medieval”. In many artifacts the most basic designs, such as
bullets or tanks, appear to be a reinterpretation of traditional motifs such as the boteh (a
droplet-shaped motif or paisley) in Persian rugs or the guls (octagonal motif) in those from
Turkmenistan. Whoever wants to find “history-in-the-making” in war rugs, is likely to be
confronted with multi-centennial traditions that determine the visual structure of the rug
itself (and perhaps its meaning) more than the bombing in progress, or the proliferation
of weapons. Some people even believe that they contain strategic coded messages
of tactical battles to come. The irony is that the rug production is extremely slow and
marketing uncertain in the age of real-time communication! This exhibition presents works
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naturalist tendency has been tied to earlier figurative Persian and especially Baluchi
rugs, since the shahs of the Qajar dynasty (in power in Iran from the late eighteenth
century to World War I) appreciated the naturalism of nineteenth-century European art.
This significantly influenced not only Persian painting, but also rug-making. The Qajari
pictorial rugs manufactured by Baluchi weavers were produced in Afghanistan up to very
recently when, more technically concise war rugs began to replace them. One can see the
evolution of a scene of three geishas with musical instruments and a prince as weavers
copy, replace, and simplify elements. Guns replace the guitars and other artifacts of war
appear in different places. The geishas become Mujahideen and the prince morphs into
asurrendering Russian soldier.
Since the goal of the exhibition is to summarize the complexity of the history of war rugs,
some artifacts are of modest quality but of extraordinary anthropological importance,
such as, the dollar bill rug or the rug with an American aircraft carrier intercepting the
airplanes aimed at the Twin Towers in New York. We call this production of powerful iconic
invention, “pop” because of its relationship to Pop art.
The war rugs, considered together, are not “pacifists” and, paradoxically, many of them
speak of a beauty that may seem scandalous: the beauty of guns and even of cannons.
However, it is worth mentioning that the traditional rug motif closest to a bullet is a stylized
cypress tree or maybe a flower or boteh. Along with this, we should recall that the initial
discovery of Afghanistan by western youth happened in the 1960s and 70s. From San
Francisco to Milan, people shouted “put flowers in your guns.” We began by stating that
the success of the Kalashnikov also lies in its abstract iconic beauty. As for other symbols
abundant in many rugs, the Kalashnikov may attract the curiosity of another time and place.
In that case, we can say the beauty of its form created one last victim: the effectiveness of
its function.
Left rug: War Rug with Peacocks, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994, 57 1⁄2 × 33 1⁄2 inches
— Enrico Mascelloni
Curator
Right rug: War Rug with Military Base, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994, 82 3⁄4 × 44 1⁄2 inches
of artistic, as well as technical, excellence in a surprising variety of subjects and languages.
The majority to survive despite mass migrations and bombings, maybe even taking
advantage of the multiculturalism in the “no man’s land” of refugee camps. All works
on display are subject to the despotism of stylization, typical of the textile world and its
technologies. Some rugs simulate naturalism while others look almost Cubist. You will see
urban landscapes crossed by airplanes, world maps with flags of all countries, and portraits
of important people.
In some of the rugs you may wonder where is the war component. It is the modernist
character of these rugs that relates them to those with military equipment. Very often,
in older specimens, as in the rug that shows a dam on two levels, or in the portraits of
King Amanullah, weapons are confined to the frame or in subordinate spaces. Later they
become the subject of the rugs, having tiptoed into the rugs. It is important to note that
these types are rare and often made by skilled weavers who reproduce with surprising
creativity abnormal subjects in the textile world, such as faces and landscapes. A certain
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Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
Note
For a better understanding of these and other theories, refer to War Rugs: The Nightmare of Modernism.
Milan: Skira, 2010.
18/20
War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan (Sistan),
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1985, 62 1⁄ 4 × 41 3⁄ 8
inches
EXHIBITION CHECKLIST
Geographic Rugs
World Map Rug, knotted wool, Afghanistan, Acquired
in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1993, 76 1⁄ 4 × 113 3⁄ 4 inches
Rug with the Minaret of Jam, knotted wool, Western
Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1991,
72 7⁄ 8 × 50 3⁄ 8 inches
World Map Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1989, 37 1⁄ 2 × 62 1⁄ 4
inches
Rug with the Minaret of Jam and Portraits (Ahmad
Shah Massoud and Ismail Khan), knotted wool,
Western Afghanistan, acquired in Kabul (Afghanistan),
2006, 53 1⁄ 4 × 32 1⁄ 4 inches
Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool, Western
Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2006,
77 × 44 1⁄ 2 inches
Abstract Cityscape Rug, knotted wool, Herat or Kabul
(Afghanistan), acquired in Kabul (Afghanistan), 1998,
35 1⁄ 2 × 56 1⁄ 4 inches
Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool,
Afghanistan, acquired in Mazar-i-Sharif (Afghanistan),
2006, 81 3⁄ 8 × 55 1⁄ 8 inches
War Rug with Military Base, knotted wool, Western
Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994,
82 3⁄ 4 × 44 1⁄ 2 inches
Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool,
Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994,
31 1⁄ 2 × 52 3⁄ 8 inches
Cityscape Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
Acquired in Zurich (Switzerland), 1990s, 50 × 78
inches
War Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool,
Baghlan (Afghanistan), acquired in Peshawar
(Pakistan), 1998, 71 3⁄ 4 × 45 1⁄ 4 inches
Portrait Rugs
Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool, Western
Afghanistan (dated 1989), acquired in Peshawar
(Pakistan), 2007, 72 × 39 1⁄ 4 inches
Cityscapes and Major Monuments
Cityscape Rug, knotted wool, Baluchistan (Eastern
Iran or Southwestern Afghanistan), acquired in Kabul
(Afghanistan), late 1970s, 47 1⁄ 4 × 81 inches
War Rug with Naghlu Dam, knotted wool,
Afghanistan, acquired in Kabul (Afghanistan), late
1970s, 72 3⁄ 4 × 43 3⁄ 4 inches
Cityscape Rug with Bridges over the Borphorus,
knotted wool, Western Afghanistan, acquired in
Europe, mid-1980s, 33 1⁄ 2 × 60 1⁄ 4 inches
Cityscape Rug, knotted wool, Western Afganistan,
acquired in Zurich (Switzerland), mid-1980s, 33 7⁄ 8 ×
54 3⁄8 inches
Cityscape Rug (possibly New York), knotted wool,
Western Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar
(Pakistan), 1994, 58 1⁄ 4 × 31 1⁄ 8 inches
Cityscape Rug with Malabar Mosque, Victoria Street,
Singapore, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1998, 36 1⁄ 2 × 57 3⁄ 4
inches
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Rug with Geisha, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan
or Southeastern Iran (Sistan), acquired in Herat
(Afghanistan), 1998, 86 1⁄ 4 × 43 1⁄ 4 inches
Rug with Geisha, knotted wool, Afghanistan, acquired
in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994, 75 1⁄ 4 × 44 1⁄ 2 inches
Portrait Rug (Amanullah Khan), knotted wool,
Afghanistan, acquired in Zurich (Switzerland), 1980s,
63 × 30 3⁄ 4 inches
Portrait Rug (Amanullah Khan), knotted wool,
Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1985,
53 1⁄ 4 × 33 1⁄ 2 inches
Portrait Rug (Prof. Buranuddin Rabbani), knotted wool,
Herat (Afghanistan), acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan),
1998, 34 1⁄ 4 × 18 inches
Portrait Rug (Ahmad Shah Massoud), knotted
wool, Afghanistan (dated 2000), acquired in Kabul
(Afghanistan), 2006, 57 1⁄ 2 × 34 1⁄ 4 inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), early 1990s, 73 1⁄ 2 ×
44 ¾ inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan) 1990, 73 ⁄ 8 5× 40 ⁄ 2
inches
1
War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
acquired in Quetta (Pakistan), 1994, 72 × 45 ⁄18 inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Herat (Afghanistan), acquired
in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1996, 57 1⁄ 2 × 34 1⁄ 4 inches
War Rug with Peacocks, knotted wool, Western
Afghanistan, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1994,
57 1⁄2 × 33 1⁄2 inches
War Rug (bag), knotted wool, Southwestern
Afghanistan, acquired in Herat (Afghanistan), 1993, 35
1
⁄2 × 17 1⁄4 inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afganistan, acquired
in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2007, 76 1⁄ 4 × 41 3⁄ 8 inches
War Rugs from Refugee Camps
War Rug, knotted wool, Pakistan refugee camp,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2012, 42 × 47 inches
War Rug with Map of Afghanistan, knotted wool,
Afghanistan or Pakistan refugee camp after 2001,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2002, 41 × 26 3⁄ 4
inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Pakistan refugee camp,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2004, 78 1⁄ 2 × 45
⁄4 inches War Rug, knotted wool, Pakistan refugee
camp, acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 1998, 72 7⁄8 ×
42 7⁄8 inches
3
Twin Towers Rug, knotted wool, Afganistan after
2001, acquired in Kabul (Afghanistan), 2004, 32 ⁄14 × 22
3
⁄4 inches
Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
Afghan War Rugs:
The Modern Art of Central Asia
Organized and curated by Enrico Mascelloni and
Annemarie Sawkins, Ph.D. Sponsored locally by the
Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery, with
additional support from the Robert A. and Maureen
S. Dobies Endowment Fund, the Margaret Davis
Friedlich and Alan and Sylvia Davis Memorial Fund,
and the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Fund.
Publication designed by Ravance Lanier
Previously on view at the Villa Terrace Decorative
Arts Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September
30, 2013 to January 4, 2014 and the Boca Raton
Museum of Art, Florida, May 3 to July 27, 2014.
Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester
500 University Ave, Rochester NY 14607
585.276.8900 | mag.rochester.edu
War Rugs
War Rug, knotted wool, Western Afghanistan,
acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan), 2012, 34 1⁄ 2 × 157
1
⁄2 inches
War Rug, knotted wool, Afghanistan, acquired in
Herat (Afghanistan) 1993, 15 3⁄ 4 × 25 3⁄ 8 inches
Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia
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